Indian actor will be special guest at Independence Day event
Yes, Rishi Kapoor is coming down to our shores this August!
A guest of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) Rishi Kapoor will hoist the Indian national flag on 13 August at Melbourne’s Federation Square. Some neta-types will be in attendance, and a few thousand fans.
Community-wallahs across the country, grab your grooviest cable-knit sweaters in honour of the man, and head down to Melbourne in mid-August!
The program for the festival, Australia’s premier Bollywood event, was announced in Melbourne on 20 June. Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange released early details about the festival, to take place 11-21 August.
The theme this year is Women’s Empowerment. And doing the honours will be, who else but permanent IFFM fixture Vidya Balan. Also look out for Richa Chadda (Sarbjit), Radhika Apte (Parched) and Rituparna Sengupta (Rajkahini).
Oh yes, that other permanent IFFM fixture Malaika Arora Khan will be around too, to add to the glamour quotient. Er, that should read, to judge the Bollywood dance contest.
Other attractions this year include entertainment journo Rajeev Masand interviewing Rishi Kapoor and Richa Chadda in separate events, and some interesting roundtables.
The glamorous awards night is on again as usual, and a charity event is included again.
Some top female singers will entertain in the Empowerment Concert.
What about the films, you ask? Don’t expect to see a Psycho Raman, but given the theme, perhaps Angry Indian Goddesses (after it has done the rounds of all the film festivals in the world)? Any bets on Sarbjit?
The Leena Yadav directorial Parched starring Radhika Apte, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Lehar Khan in key roles,
will be the opening film at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
The director says it is a huge honour for her. Interestingly, she began writing the film while on a visit to Brisbane.
“I attended a talk moderated by Mitu Bhowmick Lange,” she said. “There is a design to the way things pan out!”